Wednesday, July 11, 2012

I'm no interior design expert, but wallpaper is having a major moment right now. And I couldn't be more heartbroken. How is it fair to be tempted by all of these beautiful rooms with no allowance of bedecking my own new apartment walls in rolls of pretty parchment?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

One of my favorite things about Etsy is that you never know what you're going to happen across. It may take a lot of digging, but once you come across something unique and handmade, it becomes completely worth it. Most of these little baubles look like they came straight out of Anthropolgie. This month's picks from Etsy are my personal favorite, jewelry. Next month, I'm thinking paper goods!

Let's just get it over with: She's gorgeous. Absolutely. Gorgeous. Those lips, those legs, that hair.

Alright, now let's talk about her style. Somehow, the 25 year-old British model and occasional (questionable) actress manages to have a California-cool meets high-fashion-model-off-duty look, and it completely works. Very few of us can have a nice collection of Hermes and Alexander Wang bags or pull off leather pants with such finesse. Of course, very few of us can be Victoria's Secret Angels and star in Burberry ad campaigns, too.

Monday, July 9, 2012

The store Banana Republic is a brand synonymous with high quality American leisure wear epitomizing classic and everyday cuts. Skirts, shirts, and pants with clean lines are signature pieces along with well-crafted accessories and jewelry.

Something the brand is also synonymous with is the historical term "banana republic," which I hadn't heard of until I took a decent college history class. In history, the term refers to a small politically unstable country that depends on exporting goods to a larger wealthier country for their primary economic profits.

Honduras and Guatemala are considered banana republics because they had very large pieces of land owned by American and European fruit corporations (this is where bananas come in)- huge monopolies for private profit.

So what does this have to do with clothes?

In 1978 husband and wife duo Mel and Patricia Zeigler started Banana Republic as a safari travel-themed clothing company. Thus, stemming from the term banana republic. They originally had only two stores and made the bulk of their profit from, once again, travel-themed illustrated catalogues featuring exotic locales.

The Gap Inc., which now includes The Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime (a personal favorite), and Athleta, bought Banana Republic in 1983 and immediately began rebranding the store to create a more upscale version of The Gap as a mainstream luxury retailer- how we see BR today.

Recently, Banana Republic has had some rather exciting collaborations that have caught the attention of high-fashion and everyday shoppers alike. On March 1 of this year, they launched a 40-piece country club-like collection designed by Janie Bryant, the costume designer of hit series Mad Men. If you've ever watched the show, you'll notice a strong nostalgia of longing for a period you were never alive for (well, maybe some of you were). The male model for the collection looks eerily like a young version of Don Draper (Jon Hamm for those of you who don't watch the show), which is always a plus.

This summer, they launched a Trina Turk for Banana Republic collection that features the signature colorful graphics and clean lines of the higher-end designer. Model Coco Rocha starred in the ad campaign- if you haven't checked our her wildly popular tumblr, go now! She's fun to follow along with, and it's hard not to be slightly envious of her jet-setting designer-wearing lifestyle.

Banana Republic also has a wonderful tumblr that chronicles new collections and the behind the scenes of shoots and runway shows.

Whew! I know that was a bit long-winded, but I feel like it's always interesting and fun to learn where your clothes are coming from and the ideas behind them. For Designer Spotlight, I'm going to try to alternate between high-end and everyday designers and companies, so for next week, look out for something a little more exclusive.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! I spent yesterday celebrating and doing some shopping for my birthday in Dallas and had the most delicious lunch at Mariposa in Neiman Marcus. Before lunch they brought out hot popovers and consumme- such a nice and old fashioned birthday surprise. My favorite thing of all though was the huge sale at J. Crew. If you haven't heard, they're having 30% off all sale items (using code MUSTHAVE online), and I picked up a pair of Cafe Capris and a few No. 2 Pencil skirts for dirt cheap. A happy birthday indeed!

Here are my favorite things that happened in the online world this week.

-If you've been following along with The Corner Apartment these past few weeks you'll know that I am really into homemade popsicles right now. The Everygirl (a daily must-read if you've never heard of it) did a few more elaborate recipes for summer pops that I can't wait to try with my new Zoku Ice Pop Maker (more on this later!).

-If you're a regular Matchbook Mag reader like me then you'll recognize these ever-so-chic illustrations from EmmaKisstina. Julie from Julie Leah featured some of her celeb-inspired prints and is hosting a giveaway next week!

-A peak into the colorful world of Jonathan Adler (loving this) over at MadeByGirl has me wishing he could style my new apartment.

-An interview with Sarah Brown, the beauty director at Vogue from Into the Gloss. If you're remotely interested in beauty, magazines, or journalism, this is a really entertaining read.

-A fun take on food, illustration and simplicity over at Paper Fashion.

-Atlantic-Pacific always combines colors and patterns perfectly. This little number is no exception!

I hope everyone relaxes with what remains of the weekend- and try to stay out of the heat!

These Key lime and Greek yogurt popsicles are my absolute favorite. The acidity of the lime juice cuts the "Greek" taste of the yogurt perfectly, so for those of you who aren't fans of Greek yogurt, these are for you! Best of all, they can't get any simpler- prep took less than five minutes, excluding freezing time of course. Hope you enjoy!

I loved the simplicity and colors of this photo, and the fact that it was taken on an ice-skating rink. The rooms I included are somehow both sparse and ornate with attention to detail. I love the crisp black and white bookshelf (honestly, I'm a sucker for books of any kind) and the pink far-east accoutrements in the second room. Of course, I had to include an outfit- something perfect for a day about town. And who can resist those lovely Carven flats with bows?

I was watching the movie My Week With Marilyn a few weeks back and realized how little I actually know about the bombshell leading lady. She is, in fact, from an era long before our time (unless you were born before 1962).

Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in 1926 to an absent father and a mentally and financially unstable mother, Marilyn spent her childhood in various foster homes in the Los Angeles area. In order to prevent her from going back into the foster care system, in 1942 Marilyn married her then current boyfriend, James Dougherty, as her first of three marriages.

She began modeling while her husband was off at war, and dyed her natural brunette locks to her signature golden blonde. She caught the attention of a Twentieth Century Fox executive, who suggested changing her name to a more "sexy" and alliterative Marilyn Monroe. She and her husband divorced and shortly after in 1947, she landed her first small film role.

Marilyn quickly gained popularity among both producers and the public and continued her upward rise to fame in Hollywood. She starred in a number of big hit films that portrayed her as a "dumb blonde," catapulting her success as a comedienne and sex symbol. Her most notable films included How to Marry a Millionaire, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (in which she sang "Diamond's are a Girl's Best Friend"), The Seven Year Itch, Some Like it Hot, and The Prince and the Showgirl. She was briefly married to Joe DeMaggio in 1954, and then married playwright Arthur Miller in 1956.

While Marilyn's life seemed to be teeming with success and grandiose parties, there was an underlying negativity that pervaded her personal life and eventually lead to her death. She proved to be a rather difficult actress to work with, often having fits of stage fright and showing up late or not at all. In The Prince and the Showgirl, costar and director Laurence Olivier remarked that although Marilyn was quite the stunning actress, she was rather difficult to work with.

Despite winning an Academy Award for Some Like It Hot, Marilyn's health deteriorated and she began consuming large amounts of alcohol and seeing many different doctors to have access to a number of drugs. She and Arthur Miller divorced in 1961, and shortly after she spent some time in rehab facilities. On August 5, 1962, Marilyn was pronounced dead at her home in Los Angeles, with an autopsy confirming the death was due to acute drug poisoning and a probable suicide. She was 36 years old.

I put together a look based off the famous photo of her wearing a white plunge v-neck dress with the street vents blowing up the dress- yes, you know the one. Modern and classic at the same time, and with plenty of pretty baubles. It's perfect for a night of club hopping in Hollywood dodging paparazzi- or just drinks with the girls. Don't forget the red lipstick!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Known for their vast collections of knits bearing bold geometric patterns in an endless array of colors, the dynastic Italian fashion house Missoni is one of the world’s most influential and innovative brands. The empire is currently headed in Milan by the second generation of Missonis, and staffed additionally by the third generation, furthering not only the brand but also the jet-setting and forward style the founders fashioned so masterfully.

In a nutshell, it all began with in London with an uncomplicated love story. Ottavio Missoni, an athlete on the Italian National Track team, was competing in the summer 1948 Olympics in London while Rosita Jelmini, also from Italy, was there to perfect her knowledge of the English language. In short, the two married five years later. In the same year, the two set up a small knitwear workshop, following in the steps of Rosita’s family.

The 1960’s were a significant time of expansion and recognition for the Missonis, whose dresses began to gradually appear in fashion magazines, leading the way with dresses in endless patterns inspired by Art Deco. They moved into a larger workshop and perfected the rayon-viscose fabric blend that would eventually become their iconic favorite.

Today, the power designing couple has handed the reigns of the fashion house to their three children Vittorio, Luca, and Angela, who took the place of her mother as creative director. Angela's daughter, Margherita, serves as the accessories designer and unofficial muse.

The Missonis, with their wholesome looks and values, have served as one of the foremost fashion houses for almost sixty years. Their beautiful graphic and iconic prints have certainly made their mark in both fashion and graphic design history.

Friday, June 29, 2012

This week's Friday Fancies (join in at Long Distance Loving!) theme is rather beachy and has me wishing that I lived closer to the shore. I suppose for now the lake or pool will have to do. In the meantime...

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Some days (or all) require a just little bit of sweetness, but it's a bit indulgent financially and calorie-wise to eat dessert every day. That, combined with the fact that it's miserably hot here, got me to do something that I've been seeing floating around on Pinterest and other places for a while now: making my own popsicles.

So, every week starting now until summer ends, I'm going to make a delicious Greek yogurt-based popsicle and put up the recipe. Delicious, easy, and for the most part, healthy.

Obviously, you can add or take away whatever you want. Also, for those who aren't the biggest fans of Greek yogurt, I would consider using regular vanilla yogurt, because these are... well, very Greek. I like the Greek yogurt (Oikos from Dannon is my favorite) because it adds a lot of protein, which I know I don't get enough of on a day-to-day basis.

So since I used yogurt, I can justify having a popsicle for breakfast, right?

Monday, June 25, 2012

J. Crew is perhaps one of the most iconic brands for smartly-dressed men, women, and children all around the world. With cleans lines, beautiful silhouettes, and impeccable quality in both fabric and make, the company has created a vast empire of cashmere and classic button down sporting followers who crave cult favorites such as the No. 2 Pencil Skirt (now on sale!) and Italian Leather Classic Ballet Flats.

J. Crew began twenty-nine years ago in 1983 solely as a mail-order catalog company. The eighties were a time when catalogs were major revenue makers, with companies like Lands' End and L. L. Bean at the helm of the competition. Originally called Popular Club plan (until 1989), J. Crew aimed to create looks similar to the "Ralph Lauren" style but at a lower cost, in other words, leisure wear for the upper-middle class.

In 1989, the company officially became called J. Crew and opened their first flagship store in downtown Manhattan. Since then, more than 300 retails stores have opened nationwide, including J. Crew, J. Crew Factory, and newer more on-trend sister store Madewell.

I will be honest. If I could wear only J. Crew, I would. Yet, my college-student budget does not always allow for such a thing. In the mean time, I think I'll browse old catalog spreads and The Pink Peonies, who wears J. Crew in almost all of her outfits (flawlessly, I'll add). Preppy and classic perfection.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend so far. I spent mine doing a bit of cooking, organizing my closet, and refiguring a couple things on the blog (see yesterday's post). Here's what caught my eye this week!

Happy weekend to everyone! I have been rather full of thoughts and ideas for The Corner Apartment as of late, and have decided to do a little bit of content remodeling. A while ago I came up with all these great ideas (or so I thought) for features to do, but I for some reason haven't been able to be very consistent in churning out ideas and posts (a less emotional way of saying "my heart isn't in it"). I did a bit of very minor soul searching, and decided that I'm going to hone my focuses a bit.

First, I am going to have more written content on The Corner Apartment. Don't worry, there will still be plenty of pretty images, but I am studying journalism, and do enjoy writing.

Second, I am cutting down a bit on the fashion posts. I did not start out to be a fashion blogger, and while I do love clothes, shopping, and curating outfits, fashion is so unbelievably well-covered online and in magazines and I don't want to simply be a reiteration of sorts.

Third, I am going to focus much more on culture, art, and history. I know what you may be thinking, that you may reconsider your following of The Corner Apartment, but please do not worry. I am a twenty-year-old college sorority girl who loves pink and Keeping Up With the Kardashains. I promise I will not bore you, but instead enlighten you on some interesting subjects and connect them with the modern world (read: probably clothes).

All of that being said, I have created a simple schedule of sorts for you to look at and see what all I have planned. I am very excited for these changes and think that the content will be much more interesting and fulfilling. Let me know what you think!

Friday, June 22, 2012

I honestly love the color block trend, mostly because it discards old rules of wearing too much color and opens up the wardrobe to create endless combinations. For the most fearless, there are few color combinations that do not work.

Color blocking is, obviously, the theme for this week's My Friday Fancies, hosted as always by AV of Long Distance Loving. I immediately took to the world wide web to find inspiration for this little segment and was very struck by a particular color combo: red, pink, and orange. While it strongly evokes one of my least favorite holidays, Valentine's Day, I still can't help but fall in love with the romantic and bright color pairing (even if it does remind me of my single-hood). And, I guess it does remind me of two of my favorite designers, Kate (Spade) and Tory (Burch).

Thursday, June 21, 2012

I know that I just did a roundup of jewelry, but I was browsing Bauble Bar I couldn't help but spend a good little bit of time pouring over all of the pretty art deco-like pieces they have right now and mentally pairing them with my own outfits for a fun night out on the town (if only!).

Most of you are probably like me in that you know somewhat what the term "art deco" means, and can peg a few buildings (The Chrysler Building in NYC), pieces of jewelry, and runway collections to the style. I decided to do a little bit of research to help understand the concept more. Here's the gist of the art deco movement.

The term art deco was coined in the 1920's in, of course, Paris. It encompassed architecture, art, industrial and interior design, fashion, jewelry, and more, and focused on glamour, elegance, and modernity. Art deco ideas drew ideas from earlier twentieth century concepts such as cubism and modernism and influenced many other well-known movements such as pop art and film noir (look for more on these two later!). While a lot of artistic movements are based from philosophical beliefs and ideas, art deco is solely, well, decorative, and draws from the geometric shapes of the classical Greco-Romans, Aztecs and ancient Egyptians. Faceted, crystalline, and repeated features are a common characteristic of an art deco piece, as well as the use of materials such as chrome, lacquer, and wood.

Old-fashioned yet modern, bold yet streamline, austere yet ornate. I'm really loving this trend Bauble Bar has going on right now. And the best part? It's all so wonderfully affordable. So please, indulge yourself in a little bit of old Hollywood glamour. It's a revival that can only be considered necessary.

As stated before, I have a rather serious case of the interior decorating bug. I'm still somewhat obsessively collecting ideas, although most of them are either out of my college student budget or simply not feasible for your average apartment (so many restrictions!). Yet vignettes are always feasible, at least in most instances. I'm hoping for at least three empty spaces around my room, bathroom, living room, and kitchen next year to create a pretty little placement. Here are some of my favorites.